PRIA Logo™
119-hr-10004119th Congress

Defending Our Energy and Water Act

Sponsored By: Representative Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]

Introduced

Summary

Makes federal data centers use the most water-efficient cooling and adds water resilience to energy goals. This bill would require agencies to update data center standards so operations better protect local water resources and find water-saving technologies.

Show full summary
  • Federal agencies and data center operators would have 180 days to revise minimum requirements to require the most water-efficient cooling systems.
  • Communities near federal facilities would see stronger protections for local water supplies because data center plans must minimize effects on water resources.
  • Energy and IT planners would have a new legal duty to identify and integrate water-efficiency technologies into data center energy targets and a related statutory sunset would move from 2026 to 2031.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New water rules for federal data centers

This bill would require updated federal data center rules to protect water resources and use the most water-efficient cooling systems. The Office of Electronic Government would have 180 days after enactment to revise minimum requirements for new data centers. The Department of Defense would have to include water-efficiency technologies when setting data-center energy targets. The bill would also extend the current data-center rule sunset from 2026 to 2031.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]

MI • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 7/30/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation